Ethnic Differences in C-Reactive Protein Concentrations

• Published in: Clinical chemistry (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 1027 - 1037
• Main Authors: Kelley-Hedgepeth, Alyson, Lloyd-Jones, Donald M, Colvin, Alicia, Matthews, Karen A, Johnston, Janet, Sowers, MaryFran R, Sternfeld, Barbara, Pasternak, Richard C, Chae, Claudia U, SWAN Investigators
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Assoc Clin Chem 01.06.2008; American Association for Clinical Chemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Anthropometry; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; Body Mass Index; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - metabolism; Clinical medicine; Continental Population Groups; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus - metabolism; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Hypertension - ethnology; Hypertension - metabolism; Immunoassay; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Life Style; Medical research; Medical sciences; Metabolic Syndrome - ethnology; Metabolic Syndrome - metabolism; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Mortality; Obesity - ethnology; Obesity - metabolism; Postmenopause; Premenopause; Prospective Studies; Proteins; Risk Factors; Socioeconomics; United States - epidemiology; Womens health; Ethnic origin; Acute phase protein; Clinical biology; Biochemistry; Concentration; Molecular biology; C reactive protein; Ethnic group
• ISSN: 0009-9147; 1530-8561
• DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2007.098996

Background: Limited data exist regarding the ethnic differences in C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, an inflammatory marker associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that known CVD risk factors, including anthropometric characteristics, would explain much of the observed ethnic variation in CRP. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 3154 women, without known CVD and not receiving hormone therapy, enrolled in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multiethnic prospective study of pre- and perimenopausal women. Results: The study population was 47.4% white, 27.7% African-American, 8.5% Hispanic, 7.7% Chinese, and 8.6% Japanese; mean age was 46.2 years. African-American women had the highest median CRP concentrations (3.2 mg/L), followed by Hispanic (2.3 mg/L), white (1.5 mg/L), Chinese (0.7 mg/L), and Japanese (0.5 mg/L) women (all pairwise P < 0.001 compared with white women). Body mass index (BMI) markedly attenuated the association between ethnicity and CRP. After adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, BMI, and other risk factors, African-American ethnicity was associated with CRP concentrations >3 mg/L (odds ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.07–1.75), whereas Chinese and Japanese ethnicities were inversely related (0.58, 0.35–0.95, and 0.43, 0.26–0.72, respectively). Conclusions: Modifiable risk factors, particularly BMI, account for much but not all of the ethnic differences in CRP concentrations. Further study is needed of these ethnic differences and their implications for the use of CRP in CVD risk prediction.